Petition to all members of Congress:
Serving in Congress shouldn’t be a tryout for a high-paying career as a lobbyist. Pass Senators Al Franken and Michael Bennet’s Close the Revolving Door Act without delay, to ban Senators and Representatives from becoming lobbyists.
Al Franken and Michael Bennet have a bill to ban the outrageous practice of former members of Congress cashing in as big money lobbyists.
The bill just picked up its first Republican cosponsor, giving it major momentum in today’s Republican-controlled Congress.
Unfortunately, ex-members of Congress cashing in as lobbyists is on the rise – 51% of them do it, by one recent measure.1
Members of Congress can get a raise of more than 10 times more pay as lobbyists.2 With their insider connections, they’re a key way big corporations are able to rig the game in their favor.
The bill, the Close the Revolving Door Act, also:
- Increases penalties for violating the Lobbying Disclosure Act
- Extends the ban on congressional staff becoming lobbyists, from only one year to six
- Gives the public better online access to information about who lobbies Congress, to close loopholes
Sign the petition: Permanently ban Senators and Representatives from selling out as big money lobbyists.
Sources:
1. Center for Responsive Politics, "Revolving Door: Former Members of the 113th Congress," Accessed June 5, 2017.
2. The Nation, "When a Congressman Becomes a Lobbyist, He Gets a 1,452 Percent Raise (On Average)," Mar 14, 2012.